Battle Stadium - Rules & How To Win | Pokemon Sword Shield

Learn how to win at the Battle Stadium, Ranked (Rating) Battles in Pokemon Sword and Shield. Including info on Battle Stadium rules and tips on how to build best party!!!

Tips To Win Battle Stadium

Preparation Before Ranked Battle
Tips To Use During The Battle

What Is Battle Stadium

System & Rule
Ranked Battle
Online Competitions
Casual Battles
Rental Teams

Preparation Before Battle Stadium

4 Things To Do Before Battle Stadium

*Already finished forming your party? Click here to skip!!!

① Plan Out Your Party

② Breeding For Strong Pokemon

③ EV Training

④ Learn Moves

⑤ Hold Battle Effective Item

① Plan Out Your Party

When planning your ideal party, you need to consider 3 things; Type coverage, Meta, and Roles. Read the guide on how to form your party from below to learn more.

Type Coverage	Avoid having many Pokemon of same type. Make sure you can counter your weakness. See Type Effectiveness Chart
Meta Analysis	Check Pokemon which frequently appear in the ranked battle & prepare the Pokemon which can counter them. Check The Tier List To See Which Pokemon Is Popular
Roles	Vary the composition of your party with Attackers (high Attack or Sp. Atk with high Speed) and Tanks (High Defense or Sp. Def) to gain the edge over your opponent. Check Base Stats Of All Pokemon

Read The Guide On How To Build A Strong Team

② Breeding For Strong Pokemon

Breeding allows you to inherit strong stats from parents. You can modify Individual Strengths, Nature, and Ability to create an ideal Pokemon.

Learn More About Breeding From Here

③ EV Training

A Pokemon's stats change according to which Base Points (or Effort Values, EVs) they've earned. See the link below to learn optimal way to spread your EV.

What Are Base Points (Effort Values, EVs)? - Efficient Way To Farm EVs

④ Learn Moves

Not only do your Pokemon need to know moves with same type for high damage, you'll also want to learn other moves which can counter your weakness. Use TMs and TRs to learn those moves.

The items Pokemon hold plays important role in ranked battle as well. See the link below for list of useful items during the battle.

Tips To Keep In Mind During The Battle Stadium

How To Choose 3 Pokemon From Your Party

Ranked Battle requires you to choose 3 Pokemon to use out of 6 Pokemon in your party. Always check your opponent's party and pick Pokemon with effective moves or which have resistances to the opponent's types. If you have trouble remembering the types of all Pokemon, try to prioritize the Pokemon from the Tier List.

Try Remembering Base Stats

It is also helpful to know the Base Stats of each Pokemon. By knowing the base stats, you can counter the Pokemon to strike its weak point. (ex. Use Sp. Atk if the opponent's Sp. Def is low.)

Check Base Stats Of All Pokemon From Here

Predict Opponent's First Pokemon

It is very important to pick the right Pokemon at the beginning of a battle to take initiative. There is no way of guessing which Pokemon comes first for sure but Pokemon which can defeat many types or Pokemon which can flexibly switch by using moves like U-turn are likely to be sent out first in order to play safe.

Change Pokemon If Necessary

If your Pokemon does not have effective moves against the opponent or if opponent's type is very strong against your Pokemon, consider switching. When doing so, switch to Tank Pokemon with high Defense (Sp. Def) to soak the damage.

When To Use Dynamax

There are multiple strategies on Dynamax timing but one currently popular way is to use Dynamax in the beginning to buff your stats or to use Dynamax at the end to finish opponents off. When your opponent uses Dynamax, try to earn time by using moves like Phantom Force or Fly to avoid Max Moves.

Battle Stadium System & Rule

Online Battle With Rivals All Over The World

In the Battle Stadium, you can battle with trainers all around the globe and become No.1 in the world. You will need a Nintendo Switch Online Account (Paid) to use this feature.

How To Sign Up Nintendo Switch Online

All Pokemon Will Be Lv. 50

All of your and your opponent's Pokemon will automatically become Level 50. Pokemon will not evolve due to this level change.

You Can Use Dynamax In Battle Stadium

In the battle stadium, you can use Dynamax once. Think carefully about when to use because it will only last 3 turns.

What Are Dynamax And Gigantamax?

3 Types Of Battles: Ranked, Casual, & Online Competition

There are 3 types of battles in Battle Stadium: Ranked Battles, Casual Battles, and Online Competitions. You can find more information about these modes below.

Ranked Battle Rules

Raise Your Tier By Winning Battles

Your objective is to become most powerful trainer in the world. There are 5 tiers in Ranked battle and you will be matched with trainers of a similar rank.

Losing The Battle Will Not Affect Your Rank

By winning the ranked battle, you get some points. When you lose the battle, you will lose some points. When you surpass certain amount of points, your rank goes up. Note that your rank will not go down by losing battles.

All Players' Ranks Go Down After The Season Ends

Rank battles will happen during certain periods of time known as seasons. When a season ends, the ranks of all players will go down.

Ranked Battle Limitations

There are several limitations in ranked battle. Please see the list below.

You need to form a team with 6 different Pokemon
You cannot let 2 Pokemon hold the same item
You can't use special Pokemon such as legendary Pokemon

Series 6 Rule Changes NEW!

Duration	9/1 13:00 ~ 11/1 8:59

Official Japanese sources have announced the rules of the next Ranked Battle series! Starting in September 2020, the top Pokemon from Season 8 will no longer be usable in ranked battles!

Check Out The Latest News & Updates Here

Pokemon Which Are No Longer Usable (Starting In Series 6)

Banned Pokemon
Venusaur	Gyarados	Porygon2	Tyranitar
Torkoal	Hippowdon	Magnezone	Togekiss
Excadrill	Whimsicott	Incineroar	Mimikyu
Rillaboom	Cinderace	Indeedee (Female)	Indeedee (Male)
Dragapult	-	-	-

The above Pokemon will not be usable, which will likely lead to the ranked battle meta drastically shifting. Make sure to keep up with these changes when selecting your team!

Online Competition Rules

Two Categories: Official & Friendly

Online Competitions are tournaments held either officially, or by other players. Aim to be the very best and take on this challenge with your Pokemon!

Official Competitions

Official Competitions are held by Nintendo. By becoming one of the top players in certain competitions, you will have a chance to participate in the Pokemon Sword and Shield World Championships!

First Official Competition Coming Soon!

The first official competition is happening in December 6th. Read the guide below to learn how to breed the strongest Pokemon!

Perfect Breeding Guide - Competitive Breeding & Training

Competition Details

Name	Galar Beginnings
Sign Up Period	November 15th to December 5
Competition Period	Friday, Dec 6th 00:00 UTC Sunday, Dec 8th 23:59 UTC
Battle Format	Single Battle
Notes	Nintendo Switch Online Paid Subscription Required How To Sign Up For Nintendo Switch Online
URL	Click Here for Official Tournament Page

Friendly Competitions

You can also host your own competition or join competitions your friends host. Set your own regulations and enjoy battling among friends!

Casual Battles Rules

No Rank Change In Casual Battles

In Casual Battles, your rank won't change whether you win or lose. There is also no limit to which Pokemon you can use, since Ranked Battle limits the usage of certain legendary and Mythical Pokemon. You can also rent other player's team if you have Team ID.